Friday, 4 August 2017

How to identify a genuinely progressive Muslim « Why Evolution Is True

Maajid Nawaz, one of my favourites of the Muslim reformers. Ever eloquent, principled and brave

For a while now, I've been meaning to put together a list of Muslims and ex-Muslims who are what I call "sound" on Islam. Ones you can trust to be telling the full picture of Islam and trying to reform it. I've procrastinated and the result is like the Chinese philosophy says — "Wu Wei", which means do nothing…. and things will solve themselves and often that really is the wisest course of action (or inaction).

And it is here. Jerry Coyne has put together such a list, though without the ex-Muslims.

The Muslims that you can trust, or as Jerry has it, you can "pay attention to". I agree with it, knowing, as I do, virtually all of these folk. (well…. I don't quite know if Malala should be on the list….)

"...it is the duty of those who have accepted Islam to strive unceasingly to convert or subjugate those who have not. This obligation is without limit of time or space. It must continue until the whole world has either accepted the Islamic faith or submitted to the power of the Islamic state."

-- Bernard Lewis, renowned historian of Islam and the Middle East, in The Political Language of Islam, p72-3.

In other words:

"Islam is unique among religions of the world in having a developed doctrine, theology and legal system that mandates warfare against unbelievers."